A Heiner Müller Reader: Plays, Poetry, Prose

by Heiner Müller, Carl Weber (Editor, Translator), Tony Kushner (Foreword)

Heiner Müller lived through Germany's tumultuous history from Hitler's rise through Soviet occupation to the building and eventual demolition of the Berlin Wall. One of his earliest memories was of his father being beaten by Brownshirts and taken away to a concentration camp; later, Müller chose to stay in the Soviet Zone even when his father defected to the West. His work presents a phantasmagoric vision of culture and history. Though a committed Marxist, Müller loathed the East German government, and his works were often censured for their caustic portrait of a Germany whose history was an unending act of division and violence. This new anthology traces the multifaceted evolution of Müller the playwright, poet, and eloquent observer of his century's violent trajectory. The writings collected here range from Müller's earliest work, including short stories and early poems from the 1950s, to some of his last works, including Germania 3 Ghosts at Dead Man. Translator and editor Carl Weber provides helpful introductions to each of the selections.

Genres: Poetry, Drama, Fiction, Plays

274 pages, Paperback

First published March 22, 2001

About the author

Heiner Müller was a German (formerly East German) dramatist, poet, writer, essayist and theatre director. Described as "the theatre's greatest living poet" since Samuel Beckett, Müller is often considered the most important German dramatist of the 20th century after Bertolt Brecht. His "enigmatic, fragmentary pieces" are a significant contribution to postmodern drama and postdramatic theatre.